At the age of 12, Hannah Miller took her first trip down a luge track. She was initially scared of the steep ramp at the top of the hill.
But her mother convinced her to give it a try by promising to take her home if she didn’t like it.
Most kids get their start in luge at one of the many luge centres across the United States by attending a summer slider search clinic.
As an example, the Adirondack Luge Club in upstate New York hosts several clinics annually in various Northeastern towns.
They place a ramp in the middle of the street and host an orientation for kids there.
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How to Get Into Luge
One of the oldest winter sports in the world has a newer, more modern iteration: luge.
Sliding feet-first down an icy track at speeds of up to 85 miles per hour, with only a helmet for protection, is the luge.
The competitor rests on a moulded fibreglass pod that follows the shape of the slider.
The pod is balanced on two upward-curving metal runners called steels. The kufens and steels on the doubles luge are much longer.
They are connected to the pod’s front “kufens,” which are responsible for its movement.
Why is it Good for You?
The many advantages of luge may not be immediately apparent as you stand at the top of the run for the first time.
Luge is great for developing strong movement skills like agility, balance, and coordination because of the tight quarters in which competitors must operate.
Athletes need to train hard to build the strength and stamina necessary to withstand the increasing speeds and G-forces they’ll experience as they advance in their sport.
Luge Athletes Build Tremendous Upper Body Strength for The Start
Luge athletes hone their upper body strength to propel themselves, their sled, and any additional weights onto the course at the start.
The start, which covers the first few feet of the course with rapid paddling, also necessitates strong hands.
When the luge season is over, the athletes put in extra work to hone their upper body strength through activities like swimming, weight lifting, and callisthenics.
They put in as much time as possible at the tracks when they are open to run their races and work on their strength, agility, and technique, focusing particularly on their starts.
Conclusion
The roots of luge can be traced back to the first sled races held in Scandinavia, as well as the development of similar sports in Switzerland and St. Moritz, such as skeleton and bobsleigh.
According to Team GB’s official website, an Australian student named George Robertson won the first ever international sled race in 1883 on a 4-kilometer stretch of Swiss road.
When luge competitions were added to the Olympics for the first time in 1964, East German Thomas Kohler won the gold. Thanks for reading our article How do You Get Into Luge.
